The Fire Lord's Son
by PKsDancingGirl
Summary: There is a time in a young man's life when he has to stop believing in fate
1. Chapter 1

_A/N— I don't know where this story's going, I just know that I want to write about Zuko and his idiot sister, so here goes._

_Note: I don't own any of them. It's sad, I know, but that's the story of my life; whatcha gonna do, eh, Comrade?_

_Oh, and I'm not Chinese, and I realized that I completely butchered the names (that I made up in a flourish of white _

_Stupidity) and I'm very sorry to those of you who may be offended._

_**The Fire Lord's Son**_

**Preface**

Sometimes it feels as though we've chosen our destiny; other times, it feels like we have no control. But there isa time in a young man's life when he has to stop believing in fate. There comes a time when he has to stop accepting things as they are. For some, this time comes early and fades quickly, for others, it may be too late before it ever comes to pass.

But for some, it comes at just the right time.

**Chapter 1: Daughter of One**

"In a few years, you'll have to learn to let go of that foolish footwork, Azula; it's holding you back from your future as a Fire Master." The old man sat heavily on the stone, carefully examining his cuticles.

Azula was breathing heavily, her hair having come out of its orderly bun. Through her exhaustion, her frustration burned hotter than the amber in her eyes. "Yes, Master Zou yun," she spat through clenched teeth.

"And if you're not careful, you will be very sorry for your uncontrolled temper," Zou yun said, standing up slowly and carefully. "Now, go clean yourself and be ready in time for tea with the other students."

Azula obeyed, measuring her steps with her mind in order to calm her appearance and avoid the punishment for insubordination. On the inside, though, her heart was baking.

-- x --

Zuko had tried again, but failed. He sat in a crumpled heap at the base of the tree, chest heaving from exertion.

"You're so stupid!" Azula yelled. "You can't even do the Beginner's Set without breaking out in hives." She looked down at his sweaty skin and smiled darkly. "I'm am Ozai's true child;" she said in a chilled, scratchy tone, "you are only mother's son."

The boy on the ground looked up at his younger sister. "Someday you'll realize what that means, Azula, and you'll stop smiling," he said between gasps. He was clutching his ribs and every breath was labored.

She slapped him hard across the face. "Idiot," she said. "Father is the best thing that ever happened to the Fire Nation. You owe him more respect than you give your invalid mother."

Zuko didn't look up. "She's your mother, too."

The girl turned to go. "Call me once you've learned the first set." She tenderly plucked an apple from the branch above her head and rolled it around in her palm. Its glossy appearance gave it an allure, but it was what was inside of it that held its true value. The seeds, the future, the very bloodline of the tree lay within the heart of that fruit. The weakness of the outer peel was the downfall of the system by which the plant lived; any animal could get to those seeds and take them away from the heart of the older tree, destroying the purities that had already been established there.

Azula lit the apple on fire and dropped it on the ground as she walked away. "She is not my mother," she said under her breath, finally accepting it as truth.

-- x --

"Azula! Come sit with us!" Ty Lee called from across the room. Azula walked quickly over to the table.

"The Masters haven't arrived yet and no one knows where they are," Mai said as the Fire Princess sat down.

Azula smiled behind her eyes. She understood everything instantly. "Mai, Ty Lee," she said with a smirk, "I think our fate is about to change."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Real Father**

"You wanted to see me, Uncle?" Zuko said as politely and as disciplined as he could in his restless skin.

"I did, Zuko," Iroh replied, hiding his smile behind a thick beard. "I wanted to show you something while your mother was away." The old man held out his hand, in which lay an object wrapped loosely in black satin.

Zuko edged closer. "What is it?" he asked.

"Open it and see for yourself." The General dropped it into the young boy's waiting fingers.

Anxiously, Zuko unfolded the fabric and revealed the treasure within. It was a golden chain with a small red and black pendant attached in the middle. "A necklace?" the boy asked, trying to hide his disappointment. His uncle's presents had never let him down before this; maybe there was some hidden secret he hadn't seen.

"Yes," Iroh said, rolling onto his heals in satisfaction. "That was the necklace my father gave to me when I learned my first Firebending set. I think you should have it now."

Zuko looked down at his toes. "Shouldn't you have given it to your own son?"

"No. Lu Tien received a different honor for his accomplishments," Iroh said stiffly, a distant look in his eyes. "I want you to have this."

The young child bowed and lay the pendant back in his uncle's hand. "I do not deserve this, Uncle," he said. "I cannot complete the Beginner's Set."

Iroh looked down at the necklace, sadness on his face, then back up at his nephew as he was walking away. "I did not say I was giving it to you for your first accomplished set. I was giving it to you because you are my nephew, and you have accomplished far greater things than simple firebending."

Zuko looked back at him. "Really?" he asked skeptically.

"Any Firebender can firebend," Iroh said. He laughed, "Even your sister."

Zuko smiled. "Yes, she can."

"But very few Firebenders can truly say that they've mastered themselves."

"And you think I have?" Zuko asked, turning bodily to face his uncle.

Iroh nodded with a grin. "I think you're on your way, anyway."


End file.
